The High Road

One of the best things I’ve learned in my career is the idea of ‘taking the high road’. At Incite this was inherent in our culture, so I’m fortunate it was taught to me there, and I’ve aimed to carry this on. 

Challenging situations in business or any walk of life will happen. And in those challenging situations it’s easy to get frustrated or angry and push to get back what we feel we’re owed. With this mentality, all that often results is two sides digging in trying to get all they can. They’re not seeing the bigger picture of their own interests or even how maintaining a mutually strong relationship can provide better results for all. 

There is a tendency for any of us to think, “If I take the high road, I’m not standing my ground or defending my interests. I’m letting myself be pushed around.” What taking the high road actually means is separating yourself from the conflict of the moment to instead see what could be. Float up above the situation to see what’s really needed. What can you absolutely, not give in to? What does the other side really need? If we work together to find a solution, what opportunities does that open for us both? This ‘floating’ takes discipline to see the possibilities, rather than what divides, and to replace winning in the moment for winning together in the long term. 

As any of us work to be high road people, navigating the immediate frustration of the moment is what is hard. It isn’t comfortable to think the other side is succeeding at our expense. The benefit, however, is the environment that’s being created. A culture is being set up that aims to build strong relationships of give and take. Strong relationships that easily endure through inquiry and hard questions, asking for what you need, and that ultimately put you in a better position than had you retaliated in the initial moments of conflict. 

The high road isn’t easy to find and I have to constantly remind myself to stay on it and why that matters. As it’s practiced, in each difficult situation we’ll be asking “what is the best possible outcome for both sides here and what do I need to do in this moment to make that happen?”. Doing that lets us enjoy the view from the high road.